An Ordinary Life

by Amanda Prowse

‘There’s something about those of us who have suffered loss, Miss Collway. We tend to fall into two camps: those who crumple, sink, wither and fade under the weight of the unimaginable pain; and those of us who take that hurt, ball it tightly, put it in the base of our gut and use it as fuel. And when that happens it is a very powerful thing, the most powerful. It is an unstoppable force and one that can do good, immeasurable good.

War, she thought, made everything once beautiful tatty. No one had time to think about aesthetics when their very survival was in doubt. It was universal: the damage, the wear and tear and the spoiled.

‘You take a good look and like what you see. It’s important. It’s hard for people to love you if you don’t love yourself.’